Publications

Policy Uses of the Philippine System of
Environmental and Economic Accounts (PSEEA)
(National Statistical Coordination Board)

Over the past decade, many countries have begun to seek environmentally sustainable strategies for development. Few people would dispute the importance of integrating environmental concerns into economic thinking. The question is, how can this be done in practical, operational terms? One approach to operationalize sustainable development has been to incorporate aspects of sustainability into the system of national accounts (SNA) through the system of integrated environmental and economic accounts, or SEEA (United Nations, 1993).

The Philippines has produced a number of strategic planning reports, such as,
Philippine Agenda 21 (PCSD, 1997), and Medium Term Philippine Development Plan (NEDA, 1998), which make clear that the Philippines must design a strategy for development that takes into account increasing environmental degradation and resource scarcity. Sustainable development can be achieved, in part, by greater reliance on sound economic practices. For example, it is recognized that, except for basic humanitarian needs, environmental and natural resources should go to the most productive economic use, and that user costs should reflect the full economic value of
resources.

The implementation of strategies for sustainable development relies, in part, on two key activities: 1) continuous monitoring of the state of the environment and the economy, and progress toward meeting the goals identified in strategic plans; and 2) policy analysis of specific elements of the plans, especially potential trade-offs among the principles of efficiency, equity, and sustainability. The PSEEA can play a critical role in both of these activities by providing policy-makers with the information necessary for sustainable management of resources.